Valerie and Primitivo will be embarking on a 4-5 month journey beginning in the beginning of May 2016! They are leaving from the Northern California Crow's Ear Farm and their trek will end in Virginia. Please keep up with their progress via Valerie's blog and scroll down on this page for further info!

Valerie is riding across the country to bring awareness to the second careers of OTTBS

2nd Makes Thru Starting Gates News

Karen Chaton

5.16.16- Thank you to Thoroughbred Daily News for publishing such a great article on 2nd Makes Thru Starting Gates!

As many of you know I'm embarking on a nationwide journey this coming May! I will be riding my OTTBs Primitivo and Solar Express (who will be ridden by my partner Peter Friedman). I FINALLY recruited a driver, William Gass, who will be following with my rig stocked with supplies the ENTIRE voyage! Naturally his expenses will need to be covered, in addition to the daily costs of leaving your farm for 6 months. A few of you have expressed interest in donating to my "2nd Makes Thru Starting Gates" cause and I THANK YOU for your interest and desire to become a part of my ride. Any donations will be so generously APPRECIATED. Please donate via GoFundMe

1.25.16 - WOW! Valerie is honored and privileged to have the help of Karen Chaton when planning her route for 2nd Makes From Starting Gates ride. Karen has ridden over 37,000 miles in endurance and has several high mileage and decade team horses. Her current horses are Granite Chief +/, a 20 year old Spanish Arabian that has 14,725 miles and is the American Endurance Ride Conference Hall of Fame; and Pro Bobo who has 8,725 miles. Karen's horses have ridden across the entire Pony Express trail, completed the Tevis Cup multiple times and recently were ridden in the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade.

Additionally, Valerie and Laine have been made ambassadors for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and TAA will be donating supplies for the cross-country ride.